What is it good for? The benefits of peer observing can be many-fold and so it is logical for educators to practice peer observation throughout their career. As an environmental educator towards the beginning of my career, I see there to be many advantages such as gaining and sharing knowledge, skills as well as dispositions.…
Looking back at previous lesson observations can be enlightening, especially when from the very beginning of ones practice, in this case residential environmental education. Yet this is what I did, and happily enough what I saw was not overly embarrassing. Unsurprisingly, I spoke softly which is a trait of mine, yet despite my low volume…
The concept of stewardship can be difficult to explain to adults let alone 5th grade students. Additionally, reflecting upon one’s personal stance can feel intimidating and scary. To help students grasp the concept as well as acknowledge multiple viewpoints, I have recently begun using butcher paper to have a silent conversation on the topic of…
Sprezzatura, what a wonderful word! It signifies a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make what one does or says appear without effort or thought. Embodying this word is easier said than done, yet with practice can be developed. In teaching environmental education, I attempt to exude sprezzatura when introducing students to…
Design-A-Leaf Arts Integration Lesson In this novel lesson, students will focus in on the details of leaves, gain botanical terminology and then get creative! The aim is to foster observation skills, use collaboration to create a group word bank of descriptive botanical terms and then ultimately the students are invited to design their very own…